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Biomedical subjects

G A Wasserman

Publications and source records attributed to G A Wasserman.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Children with congenital anomalies: the preschool period.

To address a gap regarding the development of preschool children with physical congenital anomalies and the adaptational responses of their caretakers, 37 children with anomalies and 44 control children were assessed. Children were administered the Stanford-Binet and the Preschool Language Scale, and the children and their mothers were observed in a series of semi-structured situations. Performance on linguistic and intellectual tests was related to socioeconomic status, not to medical risk. Children with anomalies were more socially reticent and compliant than peers, and their mothers were more controlling and nonverbally active during a teaching task. Results are discussed in terms of Bell's lower-limit adaptational pattern.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1990

Determinants of maternal child-rearing attitudes.

This study investigated the correlates of negative attitudes toward child-rearing among low-income urban black and Hispanic mothers. Using a randomized block procedure, 144 adolescents and 139 adults giving birth to healthy infants at a large metropolitan hospital were recruited. All consenting women were interviewed in the hospital within 2 days after delivery, using standardized measures of child-rearing attitudes, self-esteem, depressive symptoms, social support, and cognitive ability. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that depressive symptoms, cognitive ability, and two demographic characteristics (maternal age and spoken language) accounted for 42.4% of the variance in negative childrearing attitudes during the postpartum period. The contributions of social support and self-esteem were no longer significant when the effects of the other psychosocial factors were taken into consideration simultaneously. The utility of early assessment of maternal attitudes as a marker for maternal risk status is addressed. The adaptive function of maternal attitudes and the implications for child-rearing practices are discussed in relation to the process of acculturation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Psychosocial attributes and life experiences of disadvantaged minority mothers: age and ethnic variations.

This study examined age and ethnic differences in psychosocial factors among hispanic (n = 210) and black (n = 73) low-income mothers within 2 days after delivery. The sample included 45 black and 99 hispanic adolescents (less than 19 years) and 139 adult controls (greater than or equal to 20 years) giving birth on the service ward at a large metropolitan hospital, excluding mothers and infants with high parity or adverse perinatal conditions. Multivariate and univariate analyses, with parity covaried, revealed age effects including earlier menarche, more school grade retention, and more perceived social support among teens. No age differences were found in child-rearing attitudes, self-esteem, or depressive symptoms. Black mothers reported more social support, higher self-esteem, and less strict child-rearing attitudes than hispanics. Analyses within the hispanic sample revealed Dominican/Puerto Rican group differences in measures of family structure and child-rearing attitudes, but only small differences in social support. Ethnocultural differences between blacks and hispanics and between the two hispanic subgroups are considered in relation to the process of acculturation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Maternal interaction and language development in children with and without speech-related anomalies.

This study explores relationships among maternal behavior, child language, and location of congenital structural anomaly in three groups of 24-month-old children: 21 with speech-related anomalies (SRA), 13 with non-speech-related anomalies (NSRA), and 45 normal controls. In addition to standardized assessment of intelligence and language, children and mothers were observed in a half-hour videotaped play session, later coded for maternal and child interactive behavior. SRA children showed significantly poorer performance than controls on standardized tests. Mothers of SRA children showed significantly more Physical Teaching and Initiating relative to controls. Mothers of both SRA and NSRA children used significantly more Attention Management than did controls. The pattern of poorer child performance and maternal interactive compensations is largely confined to children whose structural disabilities are speech-related. Maternal interactive behavior is not global in its response to child disability; rather, it varies with the particular pattern of child disabilities found.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1986

Productive language of premature and physically handicapped two-year-olds.

Structural and functional features of the productive language of healthy and at-risk 2-yr-olds were compared. Subjects were normal, full-term toddlers (n = 15), toddlers with either cosmetic or orthopedic anomalies (n = 15), and premature toddlers (n = 15). Transcripts of the language of each child were compiled from 30-min videotapes of mother and child engaged in a variety of semistructured activities. Although premature and physically handicapped toddlers did not differ significantly from each other, both groups of medical risk toddlers were delayed in a variety of structural indices of their productive language. In comparison to normal children, they had a shorter MLU and upper bound, and a smaller vocabulary, including fewer verbs. On functional features of language usage, however, there were few differences between normal and high-risk toddlers. Results are discussed in the context of developmental and learning models that posit a relationship between maternal and child behavior.

Child Language↗
PubMed1985

Origins of language delay in abused infants.

This paper presents a reanalysis of data collected in a study of abusing mother-infant pairs, emphasizing the failure of infants with a history of physical abuse to develop appropriate language skills. Bayley Mental Development indices of abused infants decreased with age. This decrease was attributable largely to the failure of abused infants to pass verbal items. None of the abused children had any verbal communication skills. Results are discussed in relation to patterns of maternal ignoring and lack of verbal stimulation.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1985

Maternal withdrawal from handicapped toddlers.

Videotaped observations of the free-play interaction of mothers and (a) 12 physically handicapped, (b) 14 premature and (c) nine healthy 2-year-olds were evaluated. Mothers of handicapped toddlers were significantly more likely to ignore their children at 24 months than were mothers in other groups. Further, although children's Bayley scores had not differed when seen previously at 1 year, children of mothers who ignored at 2 years had lower concurrent 2-year IQ scores and experienced an average 30-point drop between the two evaluations. These results support clinical reports of maternal withdrawal from handicapped young children and suggest that the mother-child dyad in such cases may be at continuing risk throughout the early years.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1985

The behavioral development of physically handicapped children in the second year.

Studies of school-aged children with physical handicaps often report cognitive-linguistic deficits, passivity, and inhibition. This study has attempted to determine whether this pattern is anticipated in earlier developmental periods, by examining the functioning of toddlers with physical anomalies (but without CNS damage) compared to premature toddlers (who share some aspects of deviant early experience) and to normal toddlers. Fourteen infants in each group were videotaped, longitudinally, at 9, 12, 18, and 24 months, in interaction with their mothers and in various semistructured situations. Developmental level was assessed at 12 months (Bayley scales) and at 24 months (Stanford-Binet IQ). Both groups of at risk toddlers performed more poorly in measures of focused play, language production, social initiative, affective expression, and 2-year IQ. Handicapped toddlers were more distractible, less compliant, and less willing to separate from their mothers, than were prematures. Patterns previously described for older handicapped children can therefore be recognized as early as the second year of life.

Child Development↗
PubMed1985

At-risk toddlers and their mothers: the special case of physical handicap.

Previous studies of school-aged children with physical handicaps indicate passivity, inhibition, and deficits in cognitive-linguistic functioning, sometimes interpreted as consequent to parent-child problems. The present study examined the functioning of toddlers with physical anomalies (but without CNS damage) in comparison to premature toddlers (who share deviant early experience but not deviant physical appearance) and to normal toddlers. 14 mother-child pairs in each group were videotaped at 9, 12, 18, and 24 months in a variety of semistructured situations. Both premature and handicapped toddlers performed more poorly in measures of social initiative, focused play, language production, and 2-year IQ. In addition, handicapped toddlers manifested increased distractibility, decreased compliance, and reluctance to separate from their mothers. Mothers of both prematures and handicapped toddlers were more initiating and less responsive than controls, while mothers of handicapped children were also more likely to both encourage and ignore their toddlers. Patterns previously reported for older children are therefore found here with toddlers. Maternal patterns are interpreted as supporting Bell's model of compensatory "lower-limit" effects.

Child Behavior↗
PubMed1982

The effects of situations and situation transitions on maternal and infant behavior.

Mothers and their firstborn year-old infants (30 girls, 30 boys) were observed during two counterbalanced situations. In the noninteraction situation, mothers were not to initiate interaction; during interaction mothers were free to interact. Maternal and infant behavior were dependent upon both the situation examined and how it compared to the previous situation. During interaction, mothers directed more behavior toward their infants than during noninteraction; this effect was intensified when noninteraction preceded interaction. Infant looking and proximity-seeking were greater during interaction than during noninteraction, while the reverse was true for touching and vocalization. A decrease in the level of interaction resulted in increases in infant behavior, while the reverse transition was associated with a more variable pattern. Two models describe the interrelationships between changes in maternal and infant behavior. In a reciprocal system, increases by the mother in a given behavior, or in the general interactive level are related to decreases in infant behavior, and vice versa. In an incremental system, any change in maternal behavior is met by increases in infant behavior.

Female↗
PubMed1978

Treatment of psoriasis with orally administered 8-methoxypsoralen and long-wavelength ultraviolet radiation.

Between May 1976 and September 1977, 51 patients with severe psoriasis were treated with orally administered 8-methoxypsoralen followed by exposure to high-intensity long-wavelength ultraviolet radiation. Clearing of psoriasis occurred in 40 patients (78%) and marked improvement in 5 (10%). Of the remaining patients three (6%), who had generalized erythroderma, failed to respond to this therapy. The mean number of treatments required for clearing was 37.5. No serious side effects were noted clinically, by ophthalmologic examination or by laboratory testing. This therapy has some advantages over conventional types of treatment now used for severe psoriasis, but also has limitations. It appears to be an effective method of treatment for ambulatory patients. Further long-term follow-up studies are required to evaluate its side effects.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1975

Photosensitivity: results of investigation in 250 patients.

Between January 1972 and December 1974, 250 patients were referred for investigation of possible photosensitivity to a university-associated clinical research unit for photobiology. In addition to an appropriate history and clinical examination, phototesting was carried out with a solar simulator, monochromatic light and fluorescent light directed to patch-tested areas of skin. Photosensitivity was not demonstrated in 110 patients (44%). Among the laboratory-confirmed photosensitivities, diagnoses included polymorphous light eruption (4.4%), erythropoietic protoporphyria (3.6%), porphyria cutanea tarda (2%), photoallergic contact dermatitis (5.6%), persistent light reaction (4%), systemic drug phototoxicity (1.2%), phototoxic contact dermatitis (2%), solar urticaria (0.8%) and photoaggravated dermatoses (7.6%). It is important to establish a precise etiologic diagnosis in patients with photosensitivity in order to treat the disorder specifically or effectively or both.

Adolescent↗